Combined vibratory massage and foot warmer unit



A. A. CARPENTER July 29, 1969 COMBINED VIBRATORY MASSAGE AND FOOT WARMER UNIT Filed June 28, 1 968 2 Sheets-Sheet l i======Ei ARVELL KQARPEN TEE {YIasow iM I v ATTORNEYS July 29, 1969 CARPENTER COMBINED VIBRATORY MASSAGE AND FOOT WARMER UNIT Filed June 28, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR milm iwmcou umw ATTORNEYS United States Patent "ice 3,457,911 CQMBINEI) VIBRATORY MASSAGE AND FOOT WARMER UNIT Arvell A. Carpenter, Oklahoma City, Okla, assignor to A & T Engineering Co., Inc., Columbia, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed June 28, 1968, Ser. No. 741,056 Int. Cl. A61h 23/00, 1/00 U.S. CI. 12.8-24.2 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable combination vibratory massage unit and foot warmer adapted to be positioned between the mattress and box springs in the foot region of a bed to transmit vibration waves through the mattress to an occupant of the bed, and including provision for circulating air about a vibration generating motor in the massage unit to absorb heat from the motor and deliver the heated air through tubing to the foot region of the bed above the mattress.

Objects and summary of the invention An object of the invention is the provision of a compact, unitary structure readily insertable between the mattress and bed springs of a bed in the foot region of the bed for generating vibrations and distributing them th oughout the bed, providing a safe, essentially flat vibration generating pad, and which is of relatively inexpensive construction.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel vibratory massage unit of the type described in the preceding paragraph, wherein a generally ovalshaped rigid panel receives vibrations for an electric motor for transmittal to the bed, and which includes air circulating means for circulating air about the motor to absorb heat therefrom and deliver the heated air above the mattress in the region occupied by the users feet.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the hereinafter described preferred embodiment of the invention.

The vibratory massage and foot Warmer unit essentially comprises an oval-shaped, relatively flat board having a vibration-producing electric motor mounted snugly in an opening in the board and restrained therein by steel bands which assist in distributing the vibrations from the motor throughout the board, this assembly being covered by a suitable covering such as ornamental fabric. A fan structure is also provided on the motor shaft to draw air into the interior of the unit around the electric motor and expel the air through tubing having an opening or openings terminating in the zone to be occupied by the users feet, so that air warmed by the heat of the motor is transmitted to the region of the users feet.

Brief description of the figures FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the combined vibratory massaging and foot warming unit of the present invention positioned between the mattress and bed springs of a bed, with parts of the mattress broken away to reveal the vibratory massage unit;

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section view of the vibratory massage and foot warmer unit taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal section view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2, and

3,457,911 Patented July 29, 1969 FIGURE 4 is a vertical transverse section view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, the portable combined vibratory massage and foot warming unit, indicated generally by the reference character 10, comprises a generally oval-shaped, substantially rigid base panel or board 11, preferably made of particle board, having top and bottom surfaces 12, 13 and a perimeter or edge 14. The board 11 is provided near its center with a suitably shaped opening 15 to snugly receive an electric motor 16 therein. As is more clearly revealed in FIGURE 4, the sides 17, 17' of the opening 15 generally parallel the major axis of the board 11 and lie in downwardly diverging planes so that the end of the opening 15 at the top surface 12 of the board is slightly narrower than the diameter of the motor. The motor 16 is securely held in the opening 15 by high tensile steel bands or straps 18 bearing against the too and bottom portions of the casing of the motor 16 and extending through slots 19 in the board 11 spaced outwardly from the opening 15. Conventional sealing devices or fasteners 20 tightly secure the steel bands 18 in closed loop bands. These steel bands 18 serve the dual function of anchoring the motor in the opening 15 in the base panel 11 and also assist in sending out vibratory massage waves through the bands to portions of the base panel located outwardly from the center opening 15 to cause the whole base panel to function as a source of vibrations to be transmitted to the bed.

The motor 16 is of conventional construction, having an eccentric weight member 21 located internally of the motor casing and mounted on the motor shaft to impart vibration to the motor as the shaft rotates. The motor shaft extends externally of the motor casing at one end of the motor and supports a squirrel cage type fan 22, located in a suitably shaped extension of the opening 15 and including an air impelling rotor 23 fixed to the shaft of the motor 16 and a surrounding fan casing or scroll 24 having, for example, a substantially centrallv located air inlet opening 24a in the end wall thereof communicating only with air in the lower interior zone 25 below the bottom wall 13 of the board 11, and having an air outlet opening 24b in the upper region of the fan casing 24 communicating only with the air in the upper interior zone 26 above the top surface 12 of the board 11.

The motor 16 with the assembled fan 22, and the bands 18, are preferably covered by asbestos panels 27 and this assembly and the board 11 are enclosed in a suitable covering 28, which is of plural layers in the illustrated embodiment, comprising an inner canvas layer 29 and intermediate polyurethane pad 30, and an outer vinyl cover 31, which may have an ornamental textured surface for enhancing the appearance of the unit. The outer vinyl cover 31 extends downwardly around the edges 14 of the board 11, terminating, for example, at the center plane of the board, and these edges are covered by a suitable ornamental trim tape or edging 32, for example, formed of a strip of fabric having border or edge flange-like portions which are recurved back towards the center of the fabric around small diameter rubber beading and stitched to the underlying web portion of the fabric. This tape or edging 32 may be conveniently secured to the edge of the board 11 by stapling.

At a selected point along the periphery of the unit, for example, where the minor axis of the oval-shaped board intersects the edge of the unit, and air inlet bore 33 is provided opening through the outer edge 14 and tape 32 and opening inwardly through the lower surface 13 of the board to communicate with the lower zone 25 between the lower surface 13 and the covering 28, for admitting outside air into the interior zone 25 and into the air inlet opening 24a of the fan casing responsive to the pressure conditions produced by the fan. An air outlet bore 34 is provided in the opposite edge of the unit, opening outwardly through the edge 14 of the board 1-1 and the adjoining tape 32 and opening inwardly through the upper surface 12 of the board 11 to communicate with the upper zone 26 between the board surface 12 and covering 28. Tubing 35, having an end which may be removably inserted into and frictionally restrained within the outlet opening portion of the outlet bore 34 may be provided, which, in the illustrated embodiment, is formed into a Y or T 35a intermediate its opposite ends and terminates at its free end portions in a pair of open-ended tube outlet sections 35 adapted to be positioned between the top sheet and the bottom sheet on the bed above the mattress at the foot region of the mattress for communicating the air from the upper zone 26 of the unit to the zone occupied by the feet of the user.

The vibratory massage and foot warming unit 10, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, is designed to be inserted between the box springs 36 and mattress 37 of a bed in the foot region of the bed, with the major axis of the oval-shaped unit extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the bed. The tube 35 is brought to the bottom edge of the bed and upwardly about the bottom edge of the mattress and the outlet end portions 35' thereof inserted between the bottom sheet and top sheet on the bed. Upon energization of the motor 16, supplied with electrical current through a conventional supply core, fragmentary indicated at 38 in FIGURE 1, the rotation of the rotor of the motor 16 and the eccentric weight 21 carried by the shaft thereof causes vibration of the motor 16. Since the sides 17, 17' of the center opening in the board 11 are in firm contact with the motor, vibrations of the motor are transmitted through the sides 17, 17' to the board 11 and are also transmitted by the bands 18 to the board at regions spaced outwardly from the center opening by intimate contact of the bands with the casing of the motor 16. The entire board 11 then becomes effectively a vibrating source and transmits the vibrations readily to the mattress 37 and then to the oc cupant of the bed, The rotation of the fan rotor 23 draws air from externally of the unit through the inlet bore 32 into the lower chamber 25 of the unit below the board 11 and into the inlet opening 24a, and this air is expelled into the upper chamber 26 of the unit through the discharge opening 24b of the fan casing. This air passes in close thermal communication with the motor 16 and absorbs the heat given off by the motor during motor operation, and this heated air is discharged through the air outlet bore 34 and tubing 35 to the zone occupied by the feet of the user.

In practice, the unit may either be manually controlled by a conventional switch provided in the supply cord 38, and if a measure of automatic control is desired, a thermostat may be provided in the supply circuit to the motor 16 and may be located within the unit to respond to the temperature in the upper chamber 26 between the board 11 and cover 28 to cut off when the temperature reaches a selected level, for example, 155 F. Furthermore, if desired, a conventional automatic timer may be incorporated in the supply circuit to the unit through the cord 38 to automatically de-energize the motor when a selected time has elapsed after initial operation of the switch to start the unit.

While but one specific embodiment of the persent invention has been particularly shown and described, it

will be apparent that various modifications can be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical vibrating massage unit adapted for disposition beneath and in engagement with a mattress to generate vibrations and transmit them through the mattress to the body of the user, comprising a flat, generally planar board forming a base panel having a central opennig therein, a vibratory electric motor for generating vibrations upon operation thereof disposed in said opening in direct contact with board surface bounding said opening to transmit vibrations to the board, strap members coupled to said board at locations spaced outwardly from said opening and extendnig above and below the board across said opening in tightly restraining engagement with upper and lower surfaces of the motor to securely anchor the motor in said opening and transmit vibrations therefrom to zones of the board spaced outwardly from said opening, and a covering secured to the outer perimeter of the board forming an enclosing sur round enveloping the board, motor and strap members.

2. An electrical vibratory massage unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said motor includes a motor case having a cylindrical exterior surface, and said opening is bounded by opposite sides lying in downwardly diverging planes with the uppermost edges of said sides spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of said cylindrical surface being held by said strap vmembers in intimate abutment with said sides of said opening and locating the center axis of said cylindrical surface below the medial plane of said board.

3. An electrical vibratory massage unit as defined in claim 2, wherein said board and covering collectively define first and second air chambers respectively below and above said board in thermal communication with said motor, the board having air inlet opening means for admitting ambient air into said first chamber and air outlet opening means for discharge of air from said second chamber, said motor including fan means for circulating air from said first chamber to said second chamber, and tubing means coupled at one end to said air outlet opening means and having an open other end adapted to be located adjacent the top foot region of the mattress for discharging adjacent the feet of the user air from said second chamber which has been warmed by motor heat through thermal exchange with said motor.

4. An electrical vibratory massage unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said board and covering collectively define first and second air chambers respectively below and above said board in thermal communication with said motor, the board having air inlet opennig means for admittin'g ambient air into said first chamber and air outlet opening means for discharge of air from said second chamber, said motor including fan means for circulating air from said first chamber to said second chamber, and tubing means coupled at one end to said air outlet opening means and having an open other end adapted to be located adjacent the top foot region of the mattress for discharging adjacent the feet of the user air from said second chamber which has been warmed by motor heat through thermal exchange with said motor.

5. An electrical vibratory massage unit as defined in claim 1, wherein said covering is a multi-layer covering inculding an inner layer of fabric, an intermediate layer of polyurethane foam, and an outer layer of textile fabric, and said unit including an asbestos pad interposed between the covering and the portions of the motor and strap members immediately adjacent the covering.

6. An electrical vibratory massage unit as defined in claim 2, wherein said covering is a multi-layer covering including an inner layer of fabric, an intermediate layer of poly-urethane foam, and an outer layer of textile fabric, and said unit including an asbestos pad interposed between the covering and the portions of the motor and strap members immediately adjacent the covering.

7. An electrical vibratory massage unit as defined in claim 4, wherein said covering is a multi-layer covering including an inner layer of fabric, an intermediate layer of polyurethane foam, and an outer layer of textile fabric, and said unit including an asbestos pad interposed between the covering and the portions of the motor and 10 strap members immediately adjacent the covering.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,512,621 6/1950 Emerson 12833 2,920,618 1/1960 Oster 128-41 XR 3,361,130 1/1968 Rowe 128-36 L. W. TRAPP, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 12833, 36, 38 

